NIRI (Near InfraRed Imager and spectrograph) - Gemini North

NIRI is only available for queue, priority visitor, and classical imaging observations due to problems with the focal plane mask and beam splitter mechanisms. The NIRI spectroscopy pages are provided for archival data reduction.

NIRI was built by the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy. It has three cameras: f/32, f/14, and f/6. In imaging mode they provide plate scales of 0.022, 0.050, and 0.117 arcsec pixels, respectively and fields of view of 22x22, 51x51, and 120x120 arcseconds squared, respectively. A large number of broad- and narrow band filters are available. Imaging with all cameras and all filters is possible, with the exceptions of the L' band at f/6 and the M band at f/6 and f/14, where the background saturates the array in the minimum exposure time.

The Gemini facility adaptive optics (AO) system, ALTAIR, (either with a natural guide star or the laser guide star), is available for use with NIRI f/32 for J-L' imaging and NIRI f/14 for imaging out to 2.5 microns due to the increased thermal background. The advantage of AO at L' is modest and is only for point sources.

Also see the Near-IR Resources
section, which contains generic information about observing at 1-5um as
well as details about calibrations, standard stars, etc.

The Gemini Observatory is an international collaboration with two identical 8-meter telescopes. The Frederick C. Gillett Gemini Telescope is located on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i (Gemini North) and the other telescope on Cerro Pachón in central Chile (Gemini South); together the twin telescopes provide full coverage over both hemispheres of the sky. The telescopes incorporate technologies that allow large, relatively thin mirrors, under active control, to collect and focus both visible and infrared radiation from space.

The Gemini Observatory provides the astronomical communities in five participant countries with state-of-the-art astronomical facilities that allocate observing time in proportion to each country's contribution. In addition to financial support, each country also contributes significant scientific and technical resources. The national research agencies that form the Gemini partnership include: the US National Science Foundation (NSF), the Canadian National Research Council (NRC), the Chilean Comisión Nacional de Investigación Cientifica y Tecnológica (CONICYT), the Brazilian Ministério da Ciência, the Argentinean Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva, Tecnologia e Inovação and the Korea Astronomy and Space Institute (KASI). The observatory is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with the NSF. The NSF also serves as the executive agency for the international partnership.